Colorado Pot Is Claimed Too Potent. What Is THC Limit Acceptable for All?

It is known that Colorado's marijuana and marijuana products are more potent than the ones in other states. There are people who advocate the idea of limiting THC to 16 percent. While supporters claim that the amount of THC is too large in the Colorado weed, there are many opponents of the limitation idea. Will the new decision be a bad influence on the marijuana industry?

The new ballot initiative and an amendment to a bill in the state's House would place limits on the potency of marijuana and marijuana products with THC.

According to the official state study, Colorado pot products have a potency of 17.1 percent when it comes to cannabis buds and 62.1 percent in concentrates. The new initiative would cap the potency of cannabis and cannabis products at 15 or 16 percent of THC.

The main supporter of the initiative is Kathleen Conti, the Republican state representative. According to Conti, while all the known studies on THC were conducted with the THC level of 2-8 percent, we cannot be sure about the influence of 17-percent marijuana flowers on our health. Nevertheless, the opponents of the initiative are sure that this decision would be unreasonable and harmful to some legal cannabis companies.

Smart Colorado also supports the new initiative. It is to be recalled that Smart Colorado is an organization focused on protecting Colorado youth from marijuana's impact. Henny Lasley, the representative of Smart Colorado, says that the organization is highly concerned about the high levels of potency of marijuana products in Colorado. Lasley says that these are weed-infused edibles that have the highest level of THC, and these products are very attractive to children. And, according to Smart Colorado, it is unknown how they may affect youngsters.

On the other hand, there are opponents of the limitation idea. Mark Slaugh, cannabis industry compliance professional, iComply CEO, and Cannabis Business Alliance executive director, states that limiting THC is an unconstitutional action that would make patients and recreational users search for what they need in the gray and black markets. According to Slaugh, the possible bill would harm many manufacturers who make high-potency products. He believes their business would simply come to an end. In addition, it is hard to tell what would happen to the marijuana-infused edibles.

The first ballot initiative would cap the cannabis potency at 16 percent of THC. It would also require every marijuana product to be sold in a child-resistant, non-transparent, and resealable package. Every edible would be packaged and sold only in single-serving amounts of 10 milligrams of THC. The initiative would not apply to medical marijuana.

Under the new initiative, the producers would have to label all retail cannabis products with information as to their potency and warnings. The warnings would include birth defects and reduced brain development, risks to the brain and behavioral development of babies, breathing difficulties, permanent loss of abilities, mood swings, impaired thinking and body movement, depression, temporary paranoia, anxiety, and potential for long-term addiction.

This proposal will be qualified for the ballot after a series of hearings. The supporters of the initiative must collect 98.492 registered Colorado voters’ signatures.

Under the second ballot initiative, the state would witness the extension of Colorado’s rules for the sale of retail marijuana until 2019 and creation of such new licenses as “retail marijuana transport” and “retail marijuana operator.”

The new amendment would prohibit selling retail cannabis and cannabis products with over-15-percent THC potency. The sellers who would not stick to new rules could be fined up to $100,000 or have their license revoked. Moreover, the label of marijuana and marijuana products with more than 10 percent of THC would have to contain the text: “Warning: The health impacts of marijuana with a THC potency of above 10 percent are unknown.”

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